We had the good fortune of connecting with Matt Bonaime and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Matt, how do you think about risk?
Risk is both a motivator to push myself and my crew but also a very real reminder than if things go wrong, there are consequences. I’ve tried to strike a balance between motivation and fear and usually have kept the financial risk minimal. Little to no debt, and only the type of work linked to what we have already done.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
We take tired, rusty Volvos from 1961-1969 and make them show cars. It takes focus, patience, a good size budget and skills that I didn’t existed as a kid. I took a convoluted route, I have an MBA and worked in operations and logistics for 15+ years. Restorations were a side gig, something fun to do on weekends with friends. Getting to this point took financial sacrifices for my wife and I, it also sent me back to school in my late 30’s to learn some critical skills. But by never letting go of this obsession with delivering a perfect product, I kept going and can now say that I enjoy going to work like I never have in my entire life. Our cars don’t just look good, they work perfectly.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Mt Lemmon, back to Tucson, down to Green Valley and then tons of Mexican food. Tucson rocks.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Stevie Dimartino, a landspeed racer in Lexington, KY. Steve took me under his wings 10+ years ago and patiently walked me through some critical skills needed to restore a car to perfection, safely. His tough love approach made some days difficult but he had my back the entire time. I wouldn’t be doing what I do today without his mentorship and guidance.

Website: www.exim-cars.com
Instagram: matt_bonaime

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